Rantor, founding member of the International League of Luddites, headquartered in South Austin, Texas 78704, celebrates National Indignation Week every day of the year.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Truncated tour

We seldom miss the annual Heritage Society house tour, though last year was one of those times (Enfield?). This year there are only seven houses. It would take digging out old tour literature to confirm it, but this seems to be about half as many as the usual number. I wonder why. Travis Heights has no shortage of houses from all eras, certainly no fewer than Fairview Park or close-in East Austin. Even though we may not be able to fit a walk in, tickets are worth it for the souvenir booklet. Two of the houses are always opened for tours of this sort, starting way back with the old Live Oak Festivals (the Stacy house on Alta Vista and the Georgian revival house two doors away, which has been altered and not for the better; the wistaria and the dual stairway approach from the street were removed and a porch not in keeping with the structure was added.) The other Stacy house, the one in which the Supernatural Family Band lived for a while, is on the tour list.